get on the first rail before we stopped you."
She swallowed hard; this man seemed to be able to read what she was considering, except… he was wrong. She was very confident now in the open and not confined in a small cabin space; with her self-defence, judo and kick-boxing skills, they'd not succeed in holding her. However, she decided to try once more in changing his mind, before attempting the rail. This was not the place to make her escape. She had every intention of escaping… yes, but to go home, not to die. "What more do you want me to say, except apologise and promise never to talk back again?" she whispered. "But if you won't accept my apology and my only choice is to be raped before I die, then go ahead, provided you keep your promise after, to kill me?"
They stood there for a few minutes, Assam saying nothing as he watched the small craft steadily approaching the ship. He had placed himself in a difficult position by threatening her with rape. This girl would not accept that option. Karen was different to the normal girls he carried, well able to give the impression of a very feminine and weak girl, except he knew she wasn't. She'd accepted the rape too quickly as if she knew he wouldn't go through with it. To try to hold her, now she was on deck, would be difficult. She'd retaliate and they would not be able to restrain her. She'd almost certainly jump ship, injuring or killing herself in the process, and perhaps others, in the attempt. Besides which, the buyer carried the balance of his payment and wouldn't appreciate a girl who'd just been raped and so wasn't able to work immediately, or possibly dead.
"I'll accept your apology and ignore your naive comment this time, Karen; you've worked hard, done as you've been told and I agree, paid for your stupidity with Barry. Don't, because of this reprieve from a punishment, ever believe I'm soft. I'm not. But I accept you said it, without thinking, to keep your spirits up. But never answer back to me again in that way. Next time I won't even offer you a chance to apologise."
While she'd been stood waiting for his reply, she'd already decided her route. Assam no longer had an arm around her shoulder; a punch to his groin and perhaps a flying kick at Garrett, if he attempted to stop her, would be sufficient to give her the time she needed. Then a sprint to the far side of the deck and she'd be over in seconds, diving deep without taking a breath, she'd never surface alive, that she was sure of. However, if he was offering her a get-out, she would take it; after all, committing suicide was her last resort. "Thank you, Assam, I'll remember your advice and never say anything so stupid again," she replied quickly.
Their eyes met for a moment. He could see there was little sincerity in hers, now certain she'd already decided, before accepting the punishment earlier, to jump. However, he smiled, grasping both her shoulders. "Then dry your eyes, Karen; when your new owner checks you over, do everything he asks without objection and more importantly, smile, don't scowl. Do this for me and your naive comment is forgotten."
"I will, Assam, I won't let you down, I promise."
He said no more, but pushed her away and then walked over to the little blonde girl. She started to cry as he talked to her and he hit her hard across the face. "Shut the blubbering or so help me, rather than get a lift, you can bloody swim to shore," he shouted.
The girl fell silent immediately, but Assam was distracted when Garrett shouted that the man had arrived. Karen looked at him carefully as he appeared from over the edge. He was small and fat, gasping for breath after his climb up the ladder onto the deck, and carrying a large bag. She couldn't decide his origin.
"Bloody funny time this, Assam. What's wrong with the normal arrangements, that bleeding sun's been baking me," he cursed.
Assam grinned; he'd not mentioned the Barry incident and only told this man that he'd been advised the ship
She swallowed hard; this man seemed to be able to read what she was considering, except… he was wrong. She was very confident now in the open and not confined in a small cabin space; with her self-defence, judo and kick-boxing skills, they'd not succeed in holding her. However, she decided to try once more in changing his mind, before attempting the rail. This was not the place to make her escape. She had every intention of escaping… yes, but to go home, not to die. "What more do you want me to say, except apologise and promise never to talk back again?" she whispered. "But if you won't accept my apology and my only choice is to be raped before I die, then go ahead, provided you keep your promise after, to kill me?"
They stood there for a few minutes, Assam saying nothing as he watched the small craft steadily approaching the ship. He had placed himself in a difficult position by threatening her with rape. This girl would not accept that option. Karen was different to the normal girls he carried, well able to give the impression of a very feminine and weak girl, except he knew she wasn't. She'd accepted the rape too quickly as if she knew he wouldn't go through with it. To try to hold her, now she was on deck, would be difficult. She'd retaliate and they would not be able to restrain her. She'd almost certainly jump ship, injuring or killing herself in the process, and perhaps others, in the attempt. Besides which, the buyer carried the balance of his payment and wouldn't appreciate a girl who'd just been raped and so wasn't able to work immediately, or possibly dead.
"I'll accept your apology and ignore your naive comment this time, Karen; you've worked hard, done as you've been told and I agree, paid for your stupidity with Barry. Don't, because of this reprieve from a punishment, ever believe I'm soft. I'm not. But I accept you said it, without thinking, to keep your spirits up. But never answer back to me again in that way. Next time I won't even offer you a chance to apologise."
While she'd been stood waiting for his reply, she'd already decided her route. Assam no longer had an arm around her shoulder; a punch to his groin and perhaps a flying kick at Garrett, if he attempted to stop her, would be sufficient to give her the time she needed. Then a sprint to the far side of the deck and she'd be over in seconds, diving deep without taking a breath, she'd never surface alive, that she was sure of. However, if he was offering her a get-out, she would take it; after all, committing suicide was her last resort. "Thank you, Assam, I'll remember your advice and never say anything so stupid again," she replied quickly.
Their eyes met for a moment. He could see there was little sincerity in hers, now certain she'd already decided, before accepting the punishment earlier, to jump. However, he smiled, grasping both her shoulders. "Then dry your eyes, Karen; when your new owner checks you over, do everything he asks without objection and more importantly, smile, don't scowl. Do this for me and your naive comment is forgotten."
"I will, Assam, I won't let you down, I promise."
He said no more, but pushed her away and then walked over to the little blonde girl. She started to cry as he talked to her and he hit her hard across the face. "Shut the blubbering or so help me, rather than get a lift, you can bloody swim to shore," he shouted.
The girl fell silent immediately, but Assam was distracted when Garrett shouted that the man had arrived. Karen looked at him carefully as he appeared from over the edge. He was small and fat, gasping for breath after his climb up the ladder onto the deck, and carrying a large bag. She couldn't decide his origin.
"Bloody funny time this, Assam. What's wrong with the normal arrangements, that bleeding sun's been baking me," he cursed.
Assam grinned; he'd not mentioned the Barry incident and only told this man that he'd been advised the ship
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